The barge under way on Mangonui Harbour after its epic journey from Auckland with two houses aboard. Photo / Wayne Zander
The barge under way on Mangonui Harbour after its epic journey from Auckland with two houses aboard. Photo / Wayne Zander
The term "house boat" took on a new meaning over the weekend when two houses were transported by barge from Auckland to Mangonui.
Some Aucklanders had trouble believing their eyes when they saw two houses heading for open water aboard a barge on Friday.
On Sunday, 48 hours later, theymade landfall at Paewhenua Island, Mangonui, just a stone's throw from their final destination, Kohumaru Rd.
The houses were loaded aboard the Thomson Towboats barge at Bucklands Beach, in East Auckland, on Friday some 318km from their new sites.
The smaller of the houses, a 1900s cottage, was built by prominent Auckland pioneer Alfred Buckland (for whom Bucklands Beach is named) for his daughter, while the second, larger home was built some 30 years ago.
The voyage north was timed to coincide with a king tide.
The Bucklands Beach property, which made the news earlier this year when its pohutukawa trees were felled and developers tried to give the larger home away free online, will be subdivided into four sections. The property reportedly changed hands last year, going for more than $4 million.
